


Wrong Shade Of Red

by Pure_oblivion



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Cheryl and toni, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Happy Reading, Penny is alive, choni, im sorry, this is angsty...i think?, why am i hurting them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-01-07 14:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18412622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pure_oblivion/pseuds/Pure_oblivion
Summary: While Cheryl and Toni are at their worst, both hurting and barely healing, a major bump in their road forces them together, closer than ever.ORPenny is alive and searching for revenge in a world where the serpents outsmarted her, so she is left with her final move involving Choni.





	1. Eyes beneath the red

**Author's Note:**

> I was planning on making this a one shot but it will probably be like 3 chapters or so!  
> Sorry, this is a little angsty, and if it's something you enjoy then read on! I have not written for like a year, please be gentle with me but as always, comments are always beyond appreciated :)  
> Penny is alive and better than ever...

“I swear to you, Penny. I don’t know.” Toni replied, her throat feeling incredibly tight as the sharp switchblade caressed her pulse point dangerously. 

But Penny chuckled in response, clearly amused by this whole ordeal, “So you’re telling me you have no idea where your whole gang moved to after clearing out of the Trailer Park? I always knew you were a funny kid, Topaz, but lets not carry this on for longer than we need to, okay?” Her voice was soft, but the hints of roughness were unmissable. 

Toni could only shake her head as a variety of thoughts ran through her mind; most of them unpleasant and haunting. God…how did she even end up here? The last memory her clouded mind could grasp around was her walking back to Thistlehouse to collect the remainder of her clothes, the same clothes Cheryl’s pale hands had packed as per her request.

Cheryl…

Swallowing thickly, the Topaz girl refused to make this situation worse for herself. But she never got to say goodbye… The last words that the two girls had exchanged were ones of anger and dismay, their tones matched their faces; utterly broken and destroyed. 

She loved her…Toni still loved her. She never stopped loving her. She never could. 

And it was becoming clearer every second of every day that they spent apart. Sure, they both needed space, especially Toni, who was still growing accustom to the idea of no longer living alone. They needed space to evaluate things on their own, and surely, she was planning on returning, but not yet. 

The pink haired girl needed to get away from Thistlehouse, but right now, she knew she’d rather be there than anywhere else. 

And Cheryl….God, her lover, she never got to say what she had wanted to. Cheryl never got to listen and understand the fact that Toni still adored every single part of her, but now it was too late. 

And Toni knew it. Her eyes revealed this as soon as her brown orbs were blurred by tears. 

Before another thought about her red haired lover could enter her mind, her pink locks were roughly grabbed and tugged backwards. 

“I asked for answers, not silence!” Penny warned, her voice ringing in Toni’s ears loud and clear.

“Penny, I-” 

“You don’t know? Do you really not care what happens to you because I could end your life right here and now. Start talking before this blade gets more intimate with you.”

She didn’t know. She truly didn’t know. She wasn’t even with the Serpents anymore…

“I’m not with them…” Toni admitted while the blade got dangerously closer to her throat, and Penny managed to press just hard enough to draw fresh blood. 

Hissing, Toni bit her lip and shut her eyes, “I know nothing about them anymore, I swear.” 

The tall blonde released her pink locks from her grasp before beginning to circle around the chair in the middle of an abandoned shop, her face blistered with amusement. 

“Is that so?” She questioned with a laugh, eyebrows raised. “Out of everyone, you were the one to go? Jeez, what happened? Mind entertaining me, cotton candy?”  
“I did something I wasn’t supposed to.” Toni whispered hesitantly with concealed hints of shame in her tone. It was never meant to escalate that far--Cheryl and her were just--

“Well isn’t that wonderful! And you mean to tell me that you cut contact with all of your friends and family because they kicked you out?” Penny sighed, before she leaned back against the concrete wall Toni’s orbs were planted against, “I don’t believe it. Details, now. Or I promise you, you’ll regret your decision very soon. You have my word.” 

Toni shook her head, unspoken fear settling deep inside of her gut. She truly didn’t know. It was true, she had cut all contact with Jughead, even Sweet Pea and Fangs. But even if she did know where they were now, her mouth would surely remain shut. After everything they’ve been through…Toni could never betray them like that despite not being part of the gang any longer. It wasn’t who she was. They were still her family, and she was still theirs. 

She knew it. 

“I told you everything I know. I wasn’t even aware they left the trailer park empty until now--” Her words were cut short as a strong hand wrapped around the collar of her plain, black leather jacket. 

“I warned you, Topaz. Last chance.” The look that possessed over Penny’s eyes was dark and bitter, and if she didn’t know it before, Toni knew no matter what she had to say, the former snake’s mind was not going to change. 

But she had to try. 

God, she didn’t want to die…

Death. 

That didn’t cross her troubled mind until now. 

It was as if though she had just snapped out of whatever stance she was in before, and finally began to react like a real human with very real emotions. 

“Please…I’m telling you the truth!” Toni’s voice was several pitches higher as she began to plead, instead of unconsciously rejecting the deadly situation unravelling right in front of her. 

“Not very convincing.” Penny was quick to push the blade back into her pocket, “But that’s okay. You’re gonna be in pain, not me.” 

The blonde woman wasn’t giving threats anymore. Toni knew this was about to turn real, her heart beat instantly picking up in pace, the bile rising up all the way to her dry throat. 

Without a warning, Toni’s head snapped to the side as a solid fist came in contact with her cheek, sending her already blurred vision further into oblivion to the point where she couldn’t see. 

With a groan of undeniable pain, Toni attempted to sit back up straight, but before her body could shift again, Penny was back on her, stony hands gripping pink hair harshly. 

“I-I’m sorry, okay!” Toni exclaimed in her defence, her thoughts so incoherent that she couldn’t even begin to wrap her mind around any of this, “I don’t know, Penny. Believe me, I do not know….”

Penny chuckled, which made Toni’s stomach twist in knots. How can someone find this so amusing? The smile plastered across the blonde’s face was sickening, and it was the last imagine Toni’s eyes absorbed before she was punched again, much rougher this time. 

And the pain…the physical pain that coursed through her face was numbing.   
The rest of her body was dead, the only feeling she could sense was the rough stinging of her face. 

A metallic taste entered her mouth, mixed with saltiness from the tears running down her swollen cheek slowly. 

Her bottom lip was busted, and Penny didn’t hesitate to land another punch. 

Toni’s vision was nothing more than a motionless blur, which for a few seconds turned into darkness from the force her face welcomed involuntarily. 

“Please…” Toni managed to get out, tasting the blood oozing from her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. 

She couldn’t recall how many times she’d been hit within the span of 10 minutes. It didn’t matter because all her mind could register was the pain. 

“It’s only been 5 hits, sweetie. You have lost your touch.” Tauntingly, Penny backed away, and Toni released a desperate breath of relief. 

Cheryl…

She just wanted to go home. 

If her wrists weren’t bound to this damn chair, she wouldn’t think twice about striking Penny’s face multiple times. 

But Toni could barely see, still trying to recover from the brutal blows her former gang member delivered. 

The sound of a door opening brought both of the females back into reality. And while Toni was sure it was part of her imagination, the ringing in her head not helping, Penny cracked a wicked smile, as if knowing what was coming. 

And she did. 

Toni, however, wasn’t prepared for what her hazy eyes were about to see. 

But once strands of fiery hair entered her vision, she was never more desperate to jump to her bound feet. 

“No…” was the only word that left Toni. 

“No…No! Please!” Toni screamed as the redhead was pushed to the floor beside her feet, her pale hands tied behind her back with thick rope that was digging into her skin. 

“T-toni…” Cheryl cried out, but was soon silenced when rough hands forced her back up to her feet. 

And when their eyes finally met, they both knew nothing could prepare them for this.


	2. Fear of the unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Hints of violence. 
> 
> They cannot catch a break, I'm sorry!1! I hope you enjoy, angst ahead. Forgive me if my writing sucks, it's truly been a long time but I hope I can get back at it again. 
> 
> It is late and I did not check for any typos, so forgive me for that! I just wanted to update as soon as I could and it is currently 2 am haha

Their eyes remained intertwined, not daring to move away from one another. 

It was the longest they’ve looked at each other in days…

“Alright, that’s long enough.” Penny announced with a wretched grin as she nodded at the young boy, who gripped Cheryl by her pale arms and began dragging her out.

“No! Stop! Stop! Don’t do this!” Toni screamed piercingly while Cheryl attempted to fight back, twisting her body in various directions in hopes of getting loose. 

Cheryl’s thick heels scraped against the floorboards before shooting back and colliding with something solid. 

“Fuck!” The male lost his balance just for a split second, but Cheryl was more than desperate. 

Her heart was distraught by the sight she witnessed just mere moments ago… Toni’s face…bruised and battered, her plump lips which were full of life, now redder than the shade of Cheryl’s current lipstick. 

And the redhead loved seeing Toni’s lips coated in hints of red every time they pulled back…but right now, this wasn’t the red Cheryl wanted to see on her…This was the red Cheryl always feared finding on Toni. 

“Let me see her!” Cheryl ordered, yet it sounded more like a plea. 

Her Toni…covered in blood and bruises. 

She felt a sick feeling rise inside of her body, tears suddenly invading her eyes. But she didn’t stop. 

As soon as she felt her body leave the boy’s grasp, Cheryl pushed past Penny, collapsing against Toni’s knees with an unreadable cry.

“You’re h-hurt, Toni…You-”

“Shh…” Toni calmed her and desperately pulled at the ropes against her wrists, so desperate to touch her, to bury her hands in the once lively, red locks.

Cheryl shook her head, “No--you’re hurt…” Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, ragged breaths sending her body and mind into a place she hated to be in, and Toni, with her vision still blurred, didn’t fail to notice. 

“Breathe for m-me, Cher. Breathe...” 

But despite her best attempts to do so, Cheryl’s body seemed to reject the idea of allowing normal levels of oxygen in. And the look in her distraught eyes…the redhead was terrified, Toni could see it. 

“Breathe…I promise I’ll get us out, I promise you.” Toni leaned in close and whispered. And that was a promise she was willing to keep more than any other right now, “You trust me, r-right?” 

Cheryl nodded, “I trust y-”

“I give you one simple task and you can’t even do that?” Penny’s voice rung out, before Cheryl felt a burning sensation shooting up her wrists. The blonde pulled her back up, hands twisting around the ropes restraining Cheryl’s wrists. 

This alone made Toni tug at her own restraints helplessly, “If you lay a hand on her, I will kill you! I’ll fucking kill-” 

Shining metal against a pale throat was all Toni needed to see for her threats to be silenced, she wanted to scream, to fucking tear that woman apart for even touching Cheryl, for even laying eyes on her-

“No promises.” The blonde smiled, that wicked, sickening smile Toni so badly wanted to swipe off of her face. But when Penny’s words finally registered, the girl screamed like she had never before. 

“NO! YOU LISTEN TO ME, LET HER GO! LET HER G-GO!” Toni’s voice was animal-like, vocal cords ripping with each word she shrieked out. 

“Toni!” Cheryl sobbed as she was passed to the boy once more, who this time had a more forceful grip around her. 

“PENNY PLEASE! I’LL DO ANYTHING! ANYTHING!” She was prepared to do anything that was asked of her, anything at all, as long as Cheryl was allowed to go. As long as her love was safe, that’s all she wanted. God, Penny could beat her, kill her, hurt her, all in exchange for Cheryl’s safety, and she’d be okay with it. 

If dying meant Cheryl would be safe…Toni was okay with it. 

Just please…

“I like this song.” Penny chuckled, “Take the Blossom to the back.” 

The boy did as he was told and pulled Cheryl away forcefully, and despite the fight she was putting up, it was no use. 

Cheryl’s legs just gave in at the sight of Toni, her heart far too shattered to even bear the sight and function around it. She sobbed. A loud, echoing sob rocked her whole body as she was dragged away into the back room, fearing for Toni.

She didn’t say it back…

She didn’t get to say it back. God, it was her fault-- Toni said she loved her, and Cheryl simply rejected it and paid no mind. 

She never uttered those three words back. 

That night at the Speakeasy…

Cheryl could hear Toni screaming for her while she fell silent, her breathing far too laboured to let her throat emit a single sound that wasn’t weeping.

She didn’t say it back and now Toni didn’t know-

Cheryl loved her. With everything inside of her, she loved Toni Topaz. 

“PENNY!” The pink haired girl’s voice soon faded into nothingness, it sounded distant, as if though they were miles away as soon as the door of the room was slammed shut. 

A few concrete walls separated the girls, but they could still feel each other. The fear, the remorse, sorrow and regret--every emotion that was in clear contrast to happiness. It radiated off of them like the smiles they used to wear; bright and clear and ordinary…oh, how ordinary.  
The dejection within them was becoming so normal…

“You d-don’t have to do this…” Cheryl’s voice quivered in the dark while the boy continued to tug at her bound wrists, directing her further into the darkness of the abandoned store. 

“Oh, I do. Don’t worry though, I doubt she’ll stay silent.” 

“W-what do you mean?” The redhead questioned, her mouth turning dry the further they walked until finally, her steps were forced to a halt.

“I said don’t worry.” The reply she received from him was one of no help, but fear. Fear of the unknown…

It was going to turn them to coal…

Cheryl could only wonder what was going through Toni’s mind right now…the girl was injured, and the redhead was here. Doing. Nothing. 

As always. 

She was no help to anyone. Ever. 

She was only a suffocater.

A useless, selfish girl. 

Her mother’s words turned deafening in her head, so loud, that she could barely even process the fact that a pair of meaty hands pushed her down to the floor roughly, without a single care in the world. 

Pale knees hit the ground with a thud. It was going to bruise for sure. Cheryl knew this…such a familiar combination. Penelope’s words loud and clear in her head…and then some form of pain following the harsh insults. 

A feeling Cheryl Blossom knew all too well. 

And it wasn’t going to end, was it? 

God--she thought escaping her mother would surely put an end to her suffering, but yet, it was a never ending cycle she was trapped in. 

When will it stop?

She just wanted it all to _end._

_So self-absorbed._

Her mother was right all along. 

Even at this very moment, with the love of her life bleeding, Cheryl was still consumed by her own suffering. Her own trauma and experiences. What about Toni? 

The girl, without a doubt, will go through more, and here she was, thinking about herself only. 

Fuck. 

_You selfish, inconsiderate monster-_

“Pray your girlfriend talks now.” The male chuckled as he bound her wrists with another layer of sharp rope and tied it to a black, metal pipe behind her, pale arms instantly stretching at an awkward, painful angle. 

And she still didn’t know why she was here…

Toni…her anchor, most likely suffering behind the concrete walls dividing them, while she could do nothing but wait and beg…

“Are we ready to talk now?” Penny sighed, “I knew you were a loyal kid, Topaz. But this level of loyalty to the Serpents…impressive.”

Toni could only shake her head in response, completely and utterly defeated. Crushed. 

With Cheryl here, in danger, Toni’s hands were totally tied behind her back. 

“All snakes have a soft underbelly. She’s yours.” The woman spoke, and the way Toni lowered her head was all the confirmation Penny needed to see. With a soft grin, she didn’t hesitate in continuing this emotional taunting, “And in some cases, the underbelly is pretty easy to get to…pretty easy to hurt.” 

The shorter girl lost her breath, eyes widening at the heavy implications beneath those metaphorical words Penny was practically spitting at her. 

The woman wasn’t just threatening. 

She didn’t bring Cheryl just for show…

She-

A piercing scream crashed through the solid walls of the room, making Toni’s heart drop and her whole body flinch in despair. 

“ _No!_ Please! _Please_ stop this!” Toni tugged at the ropes, tug after tug after _tug_ , her body trashing around the chair wildly as if though she was just set on fire, the blaze consuming her far too quickly- “Penny, get him to stop! PLEASE!” It was such a beastly sound, Penny had to take a few steps back and watch the pink haired girl from afar. 

She didn’t stop pulling at the ropes, she never stopped moving, not until she felt her flesh turning fucking _raw_. 

“I will-” A sob interrupted Toni’s speech as she threw her head forward, “I-I will do a-anything, just p-put an end to t-this. Tell h-him to stop…” Her words were slurred, constantly interrupted by gasps and whimpers, until she finally whispered, “Don’t hurt h-her.” 

It wasn’t just her lover screaming…It was a part of her. 

Her other fucking half. 

The other side of her damn _heart_. 

Her happiness, her sanity- Toni’s _everything_.

She just wanted it all to…

“S-stop…” A hoarse voice begged again, again and again because the screams coming from the other side of the building didn’t stop. 

They only intensified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was going to be a one shot but...I dunno anymore! Comments are always appreciated, thank you for reading!


	3. The long pauses when she doesn't?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man, I have exams coming up so I don't know how many chapters there are left or when the next one is coming. I'll try to update as soon as I can however, I was planning on publishing 1 or 2 more chapters but tbh that might change! 
> 
> Warning: Mentions of violence and blood ahead, SoRrY 
> 
> Happy reading, and as always, sorry for the quality of my writing haha, I just haven't written for the longest time :/

“I wonder what’s worse for you…” Penny leaned into the chair she had positioned in front of Toni, watching the girl’s face contract with a flinch, “Those moments when she screams, or is it the long pauses when she doesn’t?” 

Toni’s heart clenched painfully in her chest, it felt like someone had ripped through all of her bones to access the vital organ before crushing it slowly. 

Even if she wanted to or tried, she couldn’t tell how much time had passed since Cheryl’s first scream echoed within the dull room. 

Nor could she tell how many more screams followed after. 

It was one too many. 

Too many for her to count…

Her wrists were raw, the skin peeling away sorely every time she tugged at the damn ropes which kept her in place.

Toni never stopped begging, not for a single second, not even after her voice had began to wither away with every word she choked out. 

But worse of all was her mind. 

It was like horrid images were glued to the insides of her eyelids because every time her eyes closed, Cheryl’s bloodied body was right there in front of her. Motionless, yet evident pain was written all over the girl’s face. 

Hot tears never ceased to invade Toni’s sore eyes. 

She begged and begged and _begged_. 

If she could get down on her knees for Penny, she fucking would, she would do anything to hear Cheryl’s soft voice, to see her pale face clear of any damage and trauma. 

To just see _her_. 

Cheryl’s screams terrified her, and Toni wished she didn’t have to hear them. Yet when that wish came true, and only silence filled her ears, she regretted even thinking about it. 

Because silence was really fucking loud.

That was the day Toni Topaz learned that silence could be truly deafening. 

_Or is it the long pauses when she doesn’t?_

She was so helpless. So incredibly helpless and useless.

The beautiful, fiery hair, the pale, porcelain skin, the red coated lips, the cherry smell. Her. 

Toni wanted her. 

Could she fix her up? 

Could she show her _hope_?

Cheryl was in _pain_ because of _her_. And knowing that left Toni utterly horrified. She strived to put the redhead back together. Broken piece by piece, no matter how long it took, she was willing to help her up, help her regain that solid shape that kept her up on her feet. 

But not _this_. 

Not endless suffering. 

If Toni could hold her…whisper words of comfort into her ear-

The sound of a fist colliding with wood brought Toni’s body back into a state of consciousness with a recoil, any source of noise far too loud for he ringing ears. 

Penny watched her with a squint and nodded before heading towards the back room without an explanation. 

“N-No…” her raspy voice begged once more, tan hands pulling at the ropes despite the increasing amounts of pain that the action created, “No m-more…Please, n-no more…Penny…hurt m-me. _Please_. T-take it out o-on me…she has nothing to do with this.”

The blonde woman didn’t offer a response, instead, she glanced at the former serpent before disappearing behind the door. 

It was almost impossible for Toni’s heart to hurt anymore, the heavy ache numbing her from head to toe, but when Penny was out of her eyesight, she sobbed loudly, a scream of uncontrollable rage, anguish and horror escaping her tender throat. 

If she could take Cheryl’s place, she would…If the pain that would follow her was endless and permanent, Toni would take it. If she had to _die_ now, she would. Toni would accept that fate with a smile on her face if it meant Cheryl was to walk free. 

Her Cheryl…

The sobs that rocked her body didn’t cease. 

Maybe she found love where it wasn’t supposed to be? 

_It was right in front of her, however._

Toni should have talked some sense into herself…

If she had never dared to invite Cheryl to the movies, the heavenly girl wouldn’t be here--

She’d be safe. 

_All my fault. All my fault._

“NO!” A blood curdling scream bounced off the walls trapping Toni, the girl’s body twitching with another cry. Cheryl’s voice…

“Penny!” Toni was going to _kill_ her. She was going to rip her _apart_ ,”STOP! S-stop!” 

The ropes were digging into her bruised skin, but Toni didn’t stop. With all of her strength, she pulled back and forth desperately while Cheryl’s penetrating cries of pain continued to surround her. 

_Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop!_  
Toni’s body was thrown to the side as her shoulder collided with the ground, the chair finally tipping over the edge due to her trashing and desperate movements to get out, to _reach her_. 

A grunt escaped through her gritted teeth, the dull ache in her shoulder too minor to be noticed as a wave of sobs rocked her body. 

“Make it s-stop…” Toni begged, but nobody answered, “j-just make it e-end…”

But the heart shattering cries persisted.

At least Toni knew she was still breathing…still alive…

_End it._

Silence. 

So, so loud. 

Thunderous. 

She didn’t know how long she’d been on the ground for, still attached to the chair, before Penny came barding back in.

Blood. 

Red, fresh, crimson blood staining her hands. 

The blonde’s face was stone cold, almost disappointed and hopeless, but it soon changed as her gaze landed on Toni, a raise of a single eyebrow asking the question before her voice did, “Is it so hard to sit still, hm? The Blossom bitch couldn’t too.”

Rage pulsed through Toni’s veins, utter rage and hatred consumed her whole. She shook with fury, limbs twisting and contracting as Penny neared her…

_Blossom bitch couldn’t too…_

She was going to kill her. 

Toni was going--

“What did you _do_?” The pink haired girl roared, her vocal chords scratching against each other in ways which stimulated pain. 

Her eyes turned dark, nothing but complete wrath shining in her brown orbs. Her Cheryl…

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” She demanded again, “I SWEAR TO YOU--if you--” 

“I left her a pretty reminder of you. She’ll remember you forever, isn’t that what you want?” The usual grin on her face had vanished, instead, her features were laced with anger, but not taunting. 

If Toni could get her hands on her….

The woman’s words rung loud and clear, but she didn’t understand….she didn’t want to understand. 

She simply screamed, pulling at the ropes over and over again, pleading and begging to see Cheryl, just to lay her eyes on the redhead…

Blood was spilled again, the ropes digging far too deep once more, coating the floor several inches below her with red.

_Red_. All she could see was _red_. 

“Enough!” Penny’s voice brought Toni back into the sickening reality; one which left her helpless, defeated and destroyed. 

Beyond repair. 

“You truly don’t know where they are, do you?” 

Of course she didn’t know…

Toni shook her head in defeat while tears filled her eyes rapidly…she had been trying to tell this to the woman the whole damn time…

She had been trying to tell her the truth, and if Penny was to take her word for it…all of this _suffering_ could have been avoided. 

Cheryl could have been _okay_. 

“P-please let her g-go…” She didn’t know what else to say, what else to _do_ , “K-kill me if that’s w-what you want. J-just don’t t-touch her anymore…”

The image of death entered her mind for the hundredth time today…

If spilled blood was what Penny wanted, let it be hers. Let it be hers. 

Penny released a sigh as her hands went to grip her own hair, “Fucking Serpents…” The woman leaned down and with a grunt, pushed the chair back up, which sent Toni’s vision into a blurry picture, “You ruined it. My plan, that is. I wasted my time, trying to break you and your loyalty down, but turns out you weren’t lying, you truly don’t know where they are…” She turned around with a breathy chuckle. Her bloodied hands slid across her shirt as she wiped them, and Toni forced her eyes shut…her heart shattering at the sight and understanding. 

It was Cheryl’s. 

If only she knew how incredibly sorry Toni was. How much this had destroyed her, tore her apart. 

“You’re gonna talk to him. You’re gonna tell the Jones boy to come alone, tell him you need to talk or something.” Penny explained, “If you so much as try something, she dies. She’s breathing right now…barely, but I can change that, alright? Don’t you forget it.”


	4. My fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a while to update, my exams are a few days away and I still haven't picked up a single book so I'm basically digging my own grave rn. I suck. 
> 
> I haven't checked this for any mistakes so forgive me, I'm just really stressed rn and I find it super hard to focus, not a lot of chapters left now I think, it may take me longer to update than usual bc the school system in Britain doesn't let me rest, love that for me! 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy, and I hope that you stick around :)
> 
> Warnings: Violence, triggering thoughts.

Toni had told him that it was cold outside, but she needed to see him. 

Jughead’s voice was laced with confusion as the girl asked for his location, before he had responded that he’d meet her at Pop’s which was set to shut for the night fairly soon.

“Good job.” Penny praised with a grin as soon as Toni’s phone flashed shut, the screen turning black. 

The young girl’s gaze drifted towards the floor in defeat, nothing else could be done. 

She couldn’t let Cheryl die. 

She wouldn’t ever forgive herself for it. She wouldn’t even forgive herself now, for this pain, and this new trauma she’d caused for the pale girl. 

It was like Toni added salt to Cheryl’s wounds after re-opening them, and knowing this made the former serpent feel sick to her stomach…

How could she possibly carry this guilt? This knowledge that _she_ was the cause of Cheryl’s suffering?

 _Please forgive me…_ , Toni thought to herself, even though she didn’t deserve it, not after this, not after she had damaged the redhead further. 

Beyond repair, she was sure.

Toni hoped Cheryl was still breathing, her heart still beating…

It was. 

And heavily so. 

The pain that shrouded her was unbearable, tear stains were littered across her cheeks, which were red and blue in appearance, no longer upholding the pale glow they usually would. 

She couldn’t see.

 _And it was dark again_. 

Her eyes were screwed shut as she feared the pain that would greet her if she so much as dared to open them halfway. 

_The strong ache, the pain…_. Only pain and nothing else. 

Cheryl was drowning in it, she couldn’t point to a place which didn’t hurt if someone asked her. Everything was on fire, and she didn’t dare move. 

Not until she was forced to. 

“Up we go!” Penny’s voice rung in her ears as streams of light entered the back room from the door that was pushed open…the same door separating both girls. 

But as Penny stepped closer towards her, all Cheryl’s mind could grasp around was the inevitable pain that was to follow. 

“P-please…” Her throat was raw, vocal chords too damaged from their painful usage, but she couldn’t take it anymore…not again…not more…, “I c-can’t-”  
With a sigh, the blonde woman crouched down beside her, meeting Cheryl’s brown, lifeless orbs with her own, “Hey, it’s okay…” She smiled at her, reaching for her pocket, “I’m not gonna hurt you.” 

A polished, sharp object was the next thing Cheryl’s wide eyes landed on, and before any words could leave the parted space in between her maple red lips, she began to shake her head, that action alone pleading for Penny to stop…to end her suffering, to end the endless pain that seemed to be around each and every corner she walked past. 

The switchblade was still covered in her blood…and the pure sight of it made the redhead’s shoulder blade sting more than it already did. 

“N-no!” It was a weak attempt at pleading, but Cheryl couldn’t do it again, no more pain…no more. A scream ripped from her throat as Penny lunged forward, her mind forcing her to prepare for the unavoidable pain, while tears invaded the brown orbs which had radiated with happiness just a week ago. 

She sobbed, louder than she had before, yet even that humanly reaction forced her to meet some sort of ache as her body rocked, every inch of it hurting. 

“Jeez, I said I won’t hurt you!” Penny yelled, still finding it in herself to be irritated after everything she had caused. The woman simply cut the ropes that tied the redhead to the metal pipe, but her pale hands still remained bound by another layer of thick rope, making means of escape all the more difficult…not that Cheryl would even dare to think about running. 

Her body wasn’t her own anymore.

The pain that was littered across it was indescribable. 

Cheryl’s ribs on both sides burned with every breath she took, every movement that she emitted. It was as If though she was restricted in her own anatomy, which was supposed to be free and _hers_. Yet it seemed like Penny owned it. 

She got to control whatever was to happen to Cheryl, and the pale girl had no say of her own. 

Red, crimson blood was dried beneath her nose, the colour complimenting the purple and blackening bruise on her forehead. 

And her shoulder blade…she wasn’t sure what had happened, but as soon as Penny entered the room about 15 minutes ago, everything turned dark, and all Cheryl could do was scream; to just emit that human reaction that pleaded for Penny to stop. 

She was in pain all over, not only physically, but mentally too, her thoughts turning to the worst. 

Maybe if she ended it all that day at the river, she wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t be suffering any longer…

She’d be at ease…

“Come on, cotton candy is waiting.” Penny’s voice pulled her back into the horror-show of a reality that this was. 

Cheryl didn’t want to be here. 

It was dark. 

Too dark. 

The blonde woman tugged at her arm, leading Cheryl out of the room, who released a cry of pain as soon as she turned her body the wrong way. 

But once they rounded the corner, Cheryl knew she wanted nothing more but to _live_.

_Until you._

To live and breathe. 

To feel _her_. 

Toni. 

The former Serpent almost dropped to her knees at the sight, her lip quivering, eyes burning due to gut-twisting reality. 

Cheryl.

Her Cheryl. 

Beaten, hurt, broken. 

Again. 

But this time because of her. 

Toni choked on a heavy sob, her shoulders heaving in evident panic while her eyes continued to dance around Cheryl’s face and posture. 

Of all things that could have been broken, it had to be her…

_All my fault. All my fault. I did this._

“Cheryl-” No words could escape her because she was simply at loss, the view far too dismaying. Before her mind could process its doing, her legs began to move on their own accord as she ran towards the redhead, collapsing to her knees soon after with a thud. 

Toni wrapped her arms around Cheryl’s shaky thighs with a cry, eyes puffy with apologies and regret, and everything else Cheryl never wanted to find on her. 

Tightening her hold, Toni sobbed louder, not daring to look at the girl’s scarred face, not now. 

“I’m s-so sorry, baby. I-I’m sorry-” A sudden gasp cut her off, her breathing too laboured for her to speak. And if it wasn’t for her own ribs crushing her torso, Cheryl would bend down, pick the girl up, tell her that it wasn’t her fault because it truly and utterly wasn’t. 

It wasn’t Toni’s fault. 

“T-toni..” Cheryl cried out before falling to her knees too, far too weak and disturbed to let the pain stop her. 

Toni shook her head almost too violently as her hands reached for Cheryl’s, squeezing them so tightly but yet with such motions of gentleness, it was hard to imagine these opposite forces of rough and soft working together to create something to pleasing like this touch.

“I d-did t-this-”

“No…T-Toni no…” The redhead whispered, but it wasn’t convincing enough. Not when Cheryl had all the evidence of pain plastered over her face according to Toni. 

“C-cheryl--baby w-what hurts?” She allowed herself to ask, too afraid of hurting the girl, but she was also terrified of the answer she would get because it would only remind her of what Cheryl had endured just mere moments ago. 

Shaking her head, Cheryl attempted to keep herself together despite her deteriorating posture and the ability to keep her pain at bay, “I-it doesn’t matter, w-we’ll w-worry about it later-”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Penny barely managed to wrap her hand around Cheryl’s arm before Toni was up on her feet, shoving the woman with a scream while her voice cracked as words began pouring out of her mouth before she could even stop and think. 

“D-don’t you touch her! Not again!-”

“Getting brave, are we?” The blonde questioned while the male grabbed Toni’s arms instead, “Don’t forget I still have the upper hand here, Topaz. Try anything and I’ll show you just how bad I really can be. This was me being kind, your girl could be losing a limb right now. Smile because she’s still intact, alright? Now lets go and not another word from you.”


	5. All you need to hear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating for A VERY LONG time, I'm not doing too good but I attempted writing again. Life loves kicking me in the assssss all day long.   
> Next chapter is probably the last chapter but I MIGHT have an idea for another fanfic that should be much longer! Thanks all!

The only sound present within the moving van was the sound of its loud engine and Cheryl’s laboured breathing, clearly indicating that the pain was beginning to catch up to her. 

Toni was doing her best to keep the girl awake, who was drifting in and out of consciousness for the past 10 minutes. 

“You’re okay, baby, you’re okay.” Toni whispered and rubbed Cheryl’s arm gently, “Please, stay with me, alright? Stay with me… _please_.”

Tears sprung to her eyes as she gripped Cheryl tighter to herself, wanting to hold the girl as close as she possibly could.

The look in the redhead’s slimly opened eyes didn’t indicate anything good. She was weak, barely able to make sense of her surroundings or respond to Toni’s voice. 

“Hey, Cher, how about you tell me what you want to do once we get home?” 

Despite the pain lingering in her lungs every time she took a breath, Cheryl smiled and chuckled quietly, only to contract her face unpleasantly, “I-I w-want to fall asleep by y-your s-side.”

Nodding, Toni squeezed Cheryl’s arm tighter, jolting her awake once again after she had almost drifted off for what seemed like the twentieth time these past ten minutes, “Y-yeah, yeah okay, we can do that baby, as long as you stay awake for now.”

“O-okay.” Cheryl could hear the strain in Toni’s voice and looked up, noticing that the girl was blinking rapidly to suppress the tears in her brown eyes. The redhead moved, and painfully so, before she was right against Toni, their bodies pressed together softly. 

The shorter girl looked down, lip trembling at the sight of Cheryl, more damaged than before. Because of her. 

All her fault, Toni knew it. 

“I love you.” 

Toni shook her head, “What?” 

“I-I never g-got to say it b-back that night-” Tears invaded Cheryl’s sight, and Toni was quick to wipe them off with yet another shake of her head. 

“N-no, I knew, Cher. You didn’t say it but I knew, o-okay?” Toni knew that Cheryl loved her, she didn’t need the words of confirmation to know it. 

Nodding, Cheryl released a muffled sob, burying her head into Toni’s neck quickly, just wanting to hide away from the danger. From the world. 

But she soon pulled back after coughing loudly, her eyes widening slightly before she went back to rest her head against Toni once more. 

“I’ve got you.” The pink haired girl whispered as her swollen eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness, the only source of light coming from the side. It was faint, but still helping the two girls to see each other. 

“I love y-you.” The redhead repeated while Toni swallowed thickly beside her. 

“Enough.” Penny’s voice cut through the air and the girl’s could practically hear the woman rolling her eyes, “We’re almost there, I want the rest of the trip spent in silence.” 

Toni’s brows instantly furrowed, “Maybe you should have thought about silence before dragging my girlfriend into something she’s got no part in-”

Her words were cut short once a barrel of a gun invaded her vision, making her flinch backwards with Cheryl in her arms, who shook her head repeatedly. 

“I said shut the fuck up.” 

As soon as the pistol was withdrawn and the van continued to move, not a sound was made. Toni just wanted to get Cheryl to the hospital, to make sure the girl was okay and stable. 

But she knew this wasn’t the case when she cast her gaze down to Cheryl, only to see her eyes rolling into the back of her head. 

“Penny! Fuck-Please!” 

“We’re almost there!” The woman yelled harshly, but that didn’t put Toni at ease. She was in a state which was quite the opposite of ease and calmness, because when her brown orbs landed on Cheryl again, all she could focus on was the dark shade of red that coated the girl’s lips. 

It wasn’t the usual lipstick Toni craved to see, but blood. 

Cold blood. 

It stained the Blossom girl from head to toe. 

“N-no….No! Cheryl, open your eyes baby! H-hey, look at me….I said look at me!” The distress in Toni’s voice didn’t go unnoticed as she gently stroked Cheryl’s cheek, wanting to extract a reaction. Any reaction at all to indicate that Cheryl was still here, listening. 

Penny turned back around in her seat, watching the unconscious girl with a frown, “We’re almost there, as soon as I get the Jones boy, you are free to go. Damn it, I didn’t mean to actually kill her, Topaz.” 

“Shut up….Shut up!” Toni cradled Cheryl’s body in her arms, her thumb pressed against the pale throat as she searched for a pulse. 

Weak, but still there. 

“Penny please step on the gas…please…” She begged and to her surprise, the blonde listened, telling the male to drive faster through the small, dark, void roads of Riverdale.

The van began to slow down as the neon sign of Pop’s came into view. It was closed and empty, but there was enough light to illuminate the parking lot, where Toni was sure inevitable chaos was to unravel soon. 

And there he was, the Jones boys, standing in the middle of the parking lot near his bike, both hands stuffed in his pockets in what seemed to be a state of defeat. 

“Everybody out.” Penny ordered when the vehicle came to a halt. 

With a choked sob, Toni opened the door and flung out of the van, instantly turning back to Cheryl and shaking her. 

“Please…please, come on, Cher….Come on!” 

Yet nothing…

With all the strength she could muster despite her injuries, Toni lifted the redhead with a grunt, carrying her behind the Jones boy without even looking back at Penny, who had her eyes fixated on Jughead with a sly smile. 

“I-Is she…” The dark haired boy didn’t dare to finish his sentence as he looked at Toni, who was utterly torn apart by the events that had unravelled so quick right in front of her. 

When she shook her head, he released a breath of relief and nothing else. 

“I found a pulse, but it’s weak Jughead…it’s weak.” A long pause was caused by a lump in Toni’s throat as she gazed brokenly at Cheryl, before uttering, “please help me, Jug.”

Pursing his lips in anger, his orbs darted at Penny as he whispered, “it’s okay.”

“Bring her back, Jug bring her back I-she can’t-I can’t-”

Jughead Jones had never seen Toni Topaz so destroyed. 

He hadn’t known her for that long, but long enough to decide to finally end this. 

“What are you waiting for!” He barked at Penny, yet the woman simply chuckled at him as if though he was her prize, “I’m right here in front of you…you kidnapped my friends to set me up…here I am. End it, Penny.”

“Your wish is my command.” The blonde woman pulled out her knife, handing the pistol to the male who stood beside her. 

“Jug, w-what are you doing? I thought you k-knew-” Toni stuttered out and Jughead nodded. 

“I do. It’s cold outside, isn’t it?” 

_Thank you. Thank you._

It was so stupid but it worked. The code that said ‘I’m in danger’ worked. 

She had told him it was cold outside, and that’s all Jughead needed to hear to understand. 

Before Toni could ask anymore questions, Penny dropped to the ground with a scream full of anguish, the young male beside her doing the same. 

Sweet Pea and Fangs. 

They would be okay. 

Unless fate had other plans. 

And Cheryl Blossom was still painted in red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BrUh


	6. How it goes

Gentle fingers traced the large scar shaped ‘T’ on a pale shoulder blade. 

‘T’ standing for Toni. 

Toni Topaz. 

_I left her a pretty reminder of you. She’ll remember you forever, isn’t that what you want?_

Not like this. This wasn’t how she wanted it. 

But it’s still what she got. 

When Toni first saw the scar a few weeks ago after Cheryl had been discharged from the hospital with a hefty bill, she broke down completely. Her body had shut down like a machine as she began backing away from the redhead, saying that she didn’t want to hurt her. Repeating how it was her fault that this had happened, her fault that Cheryl had to carry that scar.

Her fault because Cheryl was painfully marked forever. 

Yet Cheryl told her that it was okay, but those words sent Toni into another storm inside of her mind. 

But they fixed it. 

Because the redhead refused to believe that it was Toni’s fault, and in all honesty it wasn’t. 

It could never be. 

Toni would never put Cheryl in harms way. 

And the redhead had convinced her to stay. 

They fixed it. 

They were not repaired by any means. 

But they were functioning somehow, and that was all they needed. At least for now. 

Life seemed calm. 

Toni didn’t ask what happened to Penny after the incident, frankly because she never wanted the woman’s name in her mouth again, but Jughead dropped subtle hints that she was gone, and for good this time. 

Yet if somehow she was to ever come back, Toni would put an end to it in a blink of an eye. She wouldn’t hesitate. 

The girl had been told by many that she had a soul of gold, but Toni didn’t believe it anymore; because every time she had seen Penny in her dreams, she thought of nothing else but killing her, and that was no soul of gold. 

“Good morning.” Cheryl yawned awake as she shifted her body to face Toni with half open eyes. 

“Hey you.” Toni smiled softy yet Cheryl was quick to pick up on the uneasiness beneath Toni’s eyes. 

 

A frown was cast upon Cheryl’s face as she stared at the girl opposite her, but her features soon turned more gentle and inviting, “You looked at it again, didn’t you?” 

Toni nodded, “Every single day, Cher.”

Cheryl swallowed thickly, pulling the blanket further up her bare body to cover up more before reaching out and placing her hand against Toni’s cheek, “It’s not your fault, okay? I know that you are probably tired of hearing me repeat the same thing by now, but it’s the truth. And I will never be tired of telling you the truth. It wasn’t you who hurt me, it was them. You did quite the opposite, babe, remember that. You saved me, and continue to do so every single day.”

“You mean that?”

“Every single day, Toni.” 

Their bare lips soon collided, swallowing down any more words that both of the girls wanted to set free simply because they didn’t need to anymore. Everything was said in silence as they pulled away and gazed into each others eyes. 

Troubled yet calm. 

“I love you.” Cheryl whispered, and Toni uttered the exact same words back just mere moments after. 

_“I love you…just hang on, baby, hang on!” The pink haired girl soared, her short legs stumbling beside Sweet Pea, who ran through the hallways of the hospital with an unconscious Blossom in his arms, her body void of any life._

“Where did you go?” The redhead asked as Toni re-opened her eyes, dragging herself back to the reality that she now currently cherished. 

“Where I never want to be again.” She simply stated and swallowed harshly, her throat turning raw just at the memory of her rough screams echoing through the halls once she was told she couldn’t go into the operating room. 

“You don’t have to, not anymore, okay?” 

Nodding, Toni agreed, “Okay.” 

The buzz of a phone caused Toni to sit up, the soft blanket shifting off of her tan, bare body, “Hello? Oh-I’ll be there in twenty.”

Cheryl sat up beside her with a raised brow and Toni sighed, “It was Jughead, he wants me in for a meeting discussing how we’ll make this all work. It’s not easy joining two gangs together, but we’ll make it happen. The poisons and the serpents are not that different, it’s only been a few weeks and they’re already getting along.” Toni explained with a grin of excitement resting on her face. 

Cheryl mirrored it, her own face lighting up at the sight of her girlfriend so joyful to be in charge of something that could become so big. 

Ever since Jughead offered to join the Serpents and Poisons together after the tragic night, Toni couldn’t refuse. She had wanted the same thing too. 

Toni could still remember the beanie-wearing boy introducing her as the Serpent Queen to the very same gang he banished her from, and all she could do was shake her head. 

She’d gratefully accept the leader position by his side as long as it didn’t include that title. 

And that’s what they did, the two now working together to fully join the two gangs without anymore fist fights. 

That fateful night made everyone understand that apart, they were nothing. 

Numbers and company offered safety. 

Division however, brought pain. 

And that was why Toni Topaz and Cheryl Blossom have decided to never leave each others side. Never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I have started writing a new fic, truly attempting to write something different with a little spin. It's a TRULY good show combined with Riverdale but I won't reveal it just yet so be on the lookout for it! :)  
> It should be multiple chapters long, haven't decided yet as I just finished the first chapter but yeah that's that. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Thank you for reading :)


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